Title: Pray and Wait
Contents
Lamentations 3:19-26 Pray and wait
When a person faces trials and tribulations, one of the most difficult things is waiting. Of course, it is difficult to bear the pain and sorrow, ridicule, shame, and wounds of pride contained in that suffering. But most of them are somewhat forgettable and tolerable over time.
However, hardships and trials have come, and it is not easy to just sit still and wait. So, when many people encounter difficulties, they can't wait and move. Even people who are normally prudent do not know how often they act rashly in test situations. That's why we often refer to people who are in trouble and say, "I'm not restless." In other words, when faced with a trial, people go back and forth, feeling confused and confused.
So, I try to change jobs when there is a hardship while I'm at work. Even if I go to school, if I have an exam, I try to change schools. Also, if you are going to church and a trial comes, you will not be able to sit still and will change the church. Such a mind means that one's own mind is restless and anxious. So, if we change the environment, what will be better? It is because of this mind that we come to think of such things.
But what does God tell us to do when we face extreme trials and trials? Verses 25-26 of today's text say: “It is good for a man to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. The Lord is good to all who wait, and to the soul that asks.”
Even in today's text, the prophet Jeremiah faced extreme hardship. He describes his suffering in verses 19-20 like this: “Remember my torments and calamities, wormwood and bile. My spirit remembers it, and I am discouraged.” Gentlemen, Jeremiah, because of his suffering
I didn't feel comfortable. The expression on his face frowned as if he had chewed bitter mugwort. The more I thought about the test I was going through, the more discouraged I came from.
But in this time of suffering, Jeremiah realized the solution and confessed in verses 21-25. “As I recall in my heart, there is hope, because the mercy and mercy of the Lord are endless, and we will not be destroyed. It is new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. Saying in my heart, The LORD is my inheritance; therefore I will hope in him.”
Ladies and gentlemen, Jeremiah could not turn the hardships and trials around himself even when suffering and trials came. Because we realized our human limitations. Therefore, he is discouraged. It's frustrating. A sigh comes out. Aren't we the same? When certain trials and trials come, it's great to have a way or ability to turn them around, but often times we don't. Don't get frustrated when this happens. I'm not offended So I think of some way out. All sorts of different methods come to mind.
And if you mobilize such free escapes or imperfect human methods, there is a risk that you will eventually become completely different from God's will and fall into a state of being unable to do this or that like a train that has left the track. If that happens, the frustration will become even worse. Along with regret, greater discouragement will come, which will make the pain even worse.
Therefore, when trials and trials that are difficult to solve by ourselves are approaching, there are times when it is better to look to God, pray to God, and wait quietly, expecting God to solve problems. Of course, as I said earlier, waiting is not an easy task. Moreover, it is better to wait for the departing train to return, and waiting for an invisible God may be very difficult.
Moreover, because of weak faith and inexperience, he asked, “What is the use of waiting for God? I have to go on my own!” Waiting for God may sound foolish enough to say, “It is better to open your mouth under the persimmon tree and wait for the persimmons to drop.”
But the Bible often tells us to look to God and wait for God. Psalm 62:5 says: “Hope in silence, only in God, for my hope is from him, and I come.” Isaiah 25:9 also says this. “This is the LORD, we have waited for him, and he will save us.”
Ladies and gentlemen, there are quite a few times when it is better for the Lord to work directly rather than for people to work when the environment is very difficult. In other words, the way to be saved and the way to solve problems is very simple: look to God, pray to God, and wait for God to save you. Of course, right now, my heart is in a hurry, and the environment is changing every moment, but it is not easy with ordinary faith to simply wait.
Look at the people of Israel. They escaped from Egypt, where they had been slaves for 430 years. But from behind, heavily armed Egyptian horsemen rush to kill him. In front, the Red Sea is overflowing and blocking it. People are perplexed. "Ah- we're all dead now!" While doing this, I go back and forth. What did Moses say to the Israelites at this time?
The Bible says: “Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord this day for you; the Lord will fight for you, and be still” (Exodus 14:13-14). When this happens, stay still. In other words, when difficulties come our way, we should not panic and rush to and fro.
So what are you going to do? It means to have a stable mind. If you have asked for God's help, now you should wait for God's workmanship and keep it in place. This can be the great power of saints. It can be a great opportunity to experience God's miracles.
Guys, what happened to the Israelites in the end? After looking at God and waiting, did they all drown in the Red Sea? Or were they killed by the sword by the Egyptian soldiers and taken back into captivity in Egypt to serve again? Isn't it? As even unbelievers know, didn't the Red Sea before the Israelites parted? And weren't all the Egyptian armies that pursued them slaughtered in the Red Sea?
This is the Bible, so what do we believe? Why are you running around in front of such a problem? Why is your heart so anxious and frustrated? Doesn't today's Bible say this? “It is good for a man to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. The Lord is good to all who wait, and to the soul that asks.” (Lamentations 3:25-26) Hallelujah!
Everyone, these days, all airplanes are jet engines, but in the old days there were propeller airplanes. However, it was often the case that rats entered the engine of the propeller plane and held a sports day. However, the problem is that a rat enters the engine and the engine stops, so plane crashes often occurred. At this time, the novice pilot tries to catch a rat that has entered the engine, but does not pay attention to driving and runs back and forth.
But seasoned pilots don't even care about rats getting into the engine. What do you do instead? Raise the plane's altitude. It's getting higher and higher. It is said that when you go up to a high place, the atmospheric pressure also increases with it, and eventually the rats die of hardship. So the plane will return safely. Folks, we are the same in life. When the mouse in question runs around in our lives, if we run together to catch the mouse, we may fall together with the mouse in question.
Therefore, when faced with problems, we must remember the words God has given us and act accordingly. What is that word? Isn't that what it means to look to the Lord instead of looking at problems? Isn't this saying that I should not deal with the problems myself and leave them all to the Lord? Everyone, think about it. How do you solve all your problems? No matter how powerful I am, am I still not God? Rather, since we are weak, are we not looking to God for help, praying to God, and waiting for God's work?
Guys, are you having problems in your life right now? Are there rats of trouble running around here and there? Don't rush to catch a mouse for nothing, but raise your altitude toward God. If I raise my spiritual height to God through the Word and prayer, and run toward the Lord, all the mice in my life will eventually die. If you only look to the Lord, you will experience the history of resolution in which all the mice in question disappear. Therefore, when there are problems and trials in this foreign land, I pray that you will stand in a precious place to solve problems by looking to God in silence.
Prayer: Everyone, think for yourself? Who am I looking at now? If our family (church, country) is in trouble, who should we look to? Today the Bible says: “Look to God and be still. God is working for you!” Ladies and gentlemen, God is still working for us today. Let us pray to God who is still working and fulfilling for us. Let's look and pray to God who makes the impossible possible and leads us to the best path. And wait quietly for God.